Wheels and Tyres

Terminology
Steel Wheels – A very popular design of wheel. Very strong and cheap to produce.
Alloy Wheels – Attractive and light weight, but can be difficult to clean.
Spokes Wheels – Used on older sports vehicles, but cannot be fitted with tubeless
tyres.
Divided rims – the rims are made in two halves which are bolted together, the rims
must never be separated while the tyre is inflated.
Split rims – the tyre is held in place by a large circlip, do not remove the tyre
unless you have been properly trained
Radial Ply Tyre – the main plies of the tyre run at 90 degrees from one bead to the
other.
Cross Ply Tyre – the main plies of the tyre run at 45 degrees from one bead to the
other.
Plies – Layers of strong fabric which are built up to give the tyre its strength and
shape
Bead – loops of steel which are the anchorage point for the plies.
Tread – this provides the grip with the road surface, the pattern assists in clearing
any water away
Side Wall – this connects the beads to the tread of the tyre.
Wheel - Basics
Most standard wheels are made of steel.

Some vehicles are fitted with alloy

wheels that are made of
magnesium or aluminium.
The rim holds the tyre.
The well of the wheel allows the
Rim
tyre to be removed and refitted

The centre section is

welded to the rim.

The pilot bore fits to the hub.

Centre mounting section
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 Valve Stems and Cores –
Three functions – It retains the air, it
allows inflation and deflation.

The rubber stem of the valve is Valve core Valve stem

pulled into the wheel.

Seat
The valve core contains a washer
spring loaded air valve insert.

The valve core also has a sealing

washer and a seat washer.

The valve cap keeps out Sealing

dust and helps keep air in. washer

Tyre pressures must only be checked and

adjusted when the tyre is cold Valve caps Next >
Wheel Fixings
Wheel studs and nuts attach the
wheel to the hub. Taper

The wheel studs press through

the hub or axle flange.

The taper on the wheel nuts

secures and centres the wheel.

Wheel studs usually have a

right-hand thread.

If it is a left-hand thread, it can be

marked with “L”.
Wheel mounting
Metric threads can be marked with “M”
Hub flange
or METRIC.
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Wheel Nut Torque
Correct torque of wheel fixing is
vital for all vehicles, and nearly
all require the use of a
torque wrench.

Excessive torque can lead to

wheel or hub distortion, causing
runout and vibration.

Low torque may allow wheel

nuts to work loose and wheels
to come off.

Nuts should be tightened in a Torque

diagonal pattern. wrench
Wheel Sizes
 Tyres (Introduction)
 The tyre acts as the primary suspension,
cushioning the vehicle from the effects of a rough
surface.
 It also provides frictional contact with the road
surface.
 This allows the driving wheels to move the vehicle.
 The front tyres allows the wheels to steer .
 The tyres allow the brakes to slow or stop the
vehicle
 Pneumatic Tyres
 The tyre is a flexible casing, which contains air.
 Tyres are manufactured from reinforced synthetic rubber.
 The tyre is made from an inner layer of fabric plies, which
are wrapped around bead wires at the inner edges.
 The bead wires hold the tyre in position on the wheel rim.
 The fabric plies are coated with rubber, which is moulded
to form the side walls and tread of the tyre. Behind the
tread is a reinforcing band, usually made of steel,rayon,or
glass fibre. Modern tyres are mostly tubeless, so they
have a thin layer of rubber coating inside to act as a seal.
 Tyre Construction
• Cross – ply tyres are not used
on any mass produced modern
cars. However, the
construction details are useful
to show how tyre technology
has developed.
• Several textile plies are laid
across each other, running
from bead to bead in alternate
directions.
• The number of plies depends
on the size of the tyre and the
load it has to carry.
• The same number of plies is
used on the crown and the
sidewalls.
 Tyre Construction
• Radial – Ply tyres consist of a
carcass ply formed by textile
arcs running from one bead to
the other.
• Each ply which is laid in an arc
at an angle of 90 degrees to
the direction the tyre rolls.
• At the top of the tyre crown
(under the tread), there is a
belt made up of several plies
reinforced with metal wire, laid
on top of the carcass ply.
• These crown plies, laid one on
top of the other, overlap at an
angle determined by the type
of the tyre.
Tyre Specifications

P 205/55 V R 16
RIM DIAMETER
TYPE (INCHES) 13, 14 ETC
P - PASSENGER TYPE
T - TEMPORARY B - BIAS-BELTED
LT - LIGHT TRUCK D - DIAGONAL BIAS
C - COMMERCIAL ASPECT RATIO R - RADIAL
(HEIGHT/WIDTH %)
55, 60, 65 70 ETC

WIDTH SPEED RATING

(MILLIMETERS) B (31 MPH) -
145-315 V (150 MPH) -
Z (OVER 150 MPH)

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Special Service Tyre
This is a space-saver spare tyre.

Used to replace flat tyre.

It is not used for rotation

(swapping).

It uses a special wheel.

Speed and pressure

restrictions apply.

It has no hub caps or wheel covers.

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• Remember the tyre tread depth must be not less than 1.6mm over the
central three-quarters of the tyre and must go all the way round the
circumference in an continuous unbroken band with no bald patches
anywhere on the tyre tread.
• If radial and crossply tyres are fitted to the same vehicle, the radial-ply
tyres must only be fitted to the rear.
• Cross-ply and radial ply tyres must never be fitted to the same axle.
• Tyre pressures must be set to the manufactures recommendations
• The tread and side wall must be free from large cuts, abrasions or
bubbles
Balance
Wheel imbalance causes wheel
tramp, or hop, makes the tyre
vibrate up and down.

Centrifugal forces try to throw

heavy areas outward when the
wheel is spinning.

Weight must be evenly distributed

around the axis of rotation.
Imbalance can be rectified in one of two
ways by Static Balancing (stationary)
or Dynamic Balancing (spinning).
Rotation
A system of rotation is used to even out tyre (a) (b)
wear and reduce the need for re-balancing.

(a) 4-wheel bias (cross-ply) tyre rotation.

(b) 5-wheel rotation (including spare).

Radial tyres must be kept on the same

side of the car.
(c) (d)

(c) 4-wheel radial tyre rotation.

(d) 5-wheel radials (including spare).

Care must be taken with spare as some

modern tyres are directional.